Sturgis Hospital says it will cease operations Friday, citing financial challenges for rural health care providers. The emergency room, surgery department, outpatient clinics and all other hospital departments will stop seeing patients at noon on June 19.
Sturgis Director of Public Safety Ryan Banaszak said the closure will mean much longer trips for the fire department’s ambulances. “Instead of a two- or three-minute transport time to a hospital, we’re looking at 40 minutes, 30 minutes, and then that same amount of time back, so for us, it’s really going to be an operational challenge to make sure we have ambulances available,” Banaszak said.
In a statement Tuesday, the hospital said its leaders explored “every reasonable option to continue operations,” including a potential sale or partnerships, but they were unable to find a sustainable path forward. The hospital said rural health care facilities have faced years of rising costs, declining reimbursement rates and a decrease in patients.
Banaszak said the city didn’t get any advance warning that the hospital would shut down Friday before Tuesday's announcement, but because of its financial challenges, officials had been exploring options. "I think any time a community loses a hospital, there’s a negative impact across the board," Banaszak said. "From what our residents will see from an ambulance service, our goal is that they see no change from us in our availability and what they receive when we show up on scene."
Sturgis Hospital recommends that patients needing emergency care visit Parkview LaGrange Hospital, Beacon Three Rivers Hospital or Insight Hospital Coldwater. Patients can request copies of their medical records by calling Sturgis Hospital at 269-651-7824 or by visiting sturgishospital.com.
